The year started with the usual flurry of activity as we settled into the busy pace of term time. The Commencement Service seems a long time ago as so many activities have taken place in between, including the Year 8 Camp, Ash Wednesday service and Valentine’s Day themed fundraiser for the Heart Foundation.

Many of you enjoyed the interaction and the information at the Parent Welcome Evenings we had at the start of the year. Our guest speaker at the Year 7 – 11 Welcome Evening, Kirrilie Smout, certainly gave us something to think about in terms of the importance of healthy relationships and how they should look. Past Year 12 parents spoke to current Year 12 parents, sharing their experiences and providing practical advice. Our students are in a good place when so many of you attend these evenings and ensure a strong partnership between those who care for them at at home and at school.

Over the summer break our students have been involved in a number of activities. Our elite athletes have competed for their state or country and we look forward to sharing their results with you in the coming weeks. A group of senior students studying German have been developing their language skills while spending Christmas in Germany on exchange. Our artists have been performing with a variety of theatrical and musical companies, like Nadia B (2017 graduate) who performed at Carnegie Hall.

Oliver (12RSO) spent some time in January with members of SAPOL’s elite STAR Group. Oliver underwent a selection process and was successful in gaining a place on this Youth Leadership Camp. We congratulate him not only for being selected, but also for successfully completing the course. Oliver has included some of his thoughts on how this opportunity has benefited him in an article below.

With only 20 places offered to South Australian students, we were privileged to have two Concordia students selected to attend the Rotary National Youth Science Forum at the Australian National University in Canberra in January. Ben (12SBAB) and Lachlan (12CFI) share their experiences in an article below.

So while we feel like the start of term has been busy, the truth is most of our students are always busy. Busy taking up opportunities and striving to be the best they can be.

As part of the College’s School Improvement Plan for 2017-18, continuous reporting is being implemented at the Concordia campus this year.

Continuous reporting is the process whereby subject teachers regularly provide feedback to students regarding their learning progress and achievements in summative tasks. Teacher feedback will be recorded in ManageBac and allows both students and parents/caregivers to view the feedback provided in a timely and consistent manner. When a subject teacher has finalised the feedback and grades for a summative task, parents/caregivers will receive an email notification from ManageBac with these details.

The purpose and details regarding continuous reporting have been presented to parents at the Pastoral Care Welcome nights that have occurred in the last fortnight. Details regarding our continuous reporting approaches and support for accessing ManageBac can be accessed on our College Website. I encourage all parents to read this information and also to view the ‘Key Information for Parents’.

There will also be opportunities for parents to gain further information on continuous reporting during our upcoming ‘Parent Information Workshops’ occurring on Thursday, 1 March.

On Monday of Week 3, the entire Year 8 cohort headed off to Adare in Victor Harbor for what promised to be a fun-filled, eventful camp. Most students were excited and ready to enjoy an amazing week. Others were feeling anxious, as the camp was early in the school year, and no one knew what 'tribe' or dorm they were in, or who would be with them on their tent night. We were introduced to the Beyond Limits leaders, who provided a whole range of activities, including bodyboarding, kayaking, raft building, the ‘Flying Kiwi’, bike riding, and the ‘Challenge Course’ just to name a few! Some of these activities pushed students out of their comfort zones. The positive outcome was most students were risk-takers and ended up enjoying the activities immensely. The tents gave us a great camping experience as we ate meals, did the dishes and so on outside with our whole tribe. Spending this time together was a great way for the tribes to bond and get to know each other better. On the second night one of the tents blew over and had to be put up again by the teachers in the middle of the night! Congratulations to the winning tribe, “The Smarties”, who demonstrated teamwork, communication and kindness. Overall, Year 8 Camp was a great learning experience for all of us. We all bonded as an entire year level and it was a great introduction to the start of what will be an amazing year.

Last week Concordia hosted its annual Valentine’s Day celebrations. The event, coordinated by the student leaders, was a sensational success. With new initiatives, such as the 'friend zone frog', students and staff alike had a fantastic time. Most importantly, however, thousands of dollars were raised for the Heart Foundation. In fact, it is believed this year was a record profit with approximately $2500 going to the Heart Foundation.

In the weeks preceding Valentine’s Day, roses, frogs and singing telegrams were sold each recess and lunch. A bake sale was held the day before and on the day, supplied by students and the Food Technology department. This was an incredible success, demonstrating how the Concordia community can come together. A huge thank you goes to Fine Field Roses for some beautiful roses, the Heart Foundation for lending us the Happy Heart Suit and to everyone who got involved. It was great to see everyone participating and sharing the love of the Concordia community for a very worthy cause.

In the first two weeks of January, Ben (12SBAB) and I (Lachlan 12CFI) attended the National Youth Science Forum. This is a non-profit organisation that runs a number of science outreach activities. The program is a 12-day residential activity for students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The forum provides the opportunity to gain significant insights into a variety of study and career options in these fields. The 200 participants from around Australia all lived on campus at the Australian National University, in Canberra. The program was initiated by Rotary 35 years ago and has been running smoothly ever since; with over 11,500 participants attending during that time.

On the Forum, we attended lab and site visits, (lab visits were predominantly held at the Australian National University or CSIRO), keynote addresses and lectures, workshops, debates, and networking times, as well as socialising and experiencing campus life at University.

We had amazing opportunities to meet with significant people in the scientific community and also to perform scientific experiments that wouldn’t be possible back home. Most of the fun on the trip comes from the surprises and secrets that lie waiting for participants. So, if you’re currently in Year 11, are interested in STEM fields, have involvement in extra-curricular activities and are an Australian citizen, then look out for more information coming soon about the application process and how to apply for selection.

At the start of January this year I participated in the SAPOL Youth Leadership Camp run by STAR Group members at the Echunga Police Training Reserve. The camp participants are made up of 24 students going into Year 12 who have demonstrated an interest and an ability to take on leadership roles in their final year at school. They are nominated by their school and need to complete an application process for selection. I was fortunate enough to be accepted out of around 100 applicants across the state. Throughout the week we participated in a variety of team building exercises, obstacle courses and real-life scenario’s which were both physically and mentally draining, but also a lot of fun. This developed my skills as a leader and also as a person in general. I would strongly encourage any Year 11s interested to put their name forward to Mrs McAuliffe towards the middle of the year.

This award was formally presented to Zanti (12HRO) at Assembly last week. Zanti was chosen to be a recipient of the award for the positive attitude she displays to her studies, for the service she has given to the school, for being an effective ambassador for the school, and for the honesty, integrity, self-discipline and pride she displays in her school life. She has a sense of responsibility toward other people and shows initiative and a willingness to support them. As a recipient of this award Zanti has received $150 from the Lutheran Women of SA in recognition of her fine character and efforts.

Zanti is also a member of the Lutheran Commission for Social and Bioethical Questions’ Environmental Working Group.

This year the Art Department decided to take up the opportunity to have an Artist in Residence at Concordia College. We have been fortunate to be able to have Ruby Chew, a young dynamic artist, with us for the first part of Term 1. It is an excellent opportunity for students to see a professional artist at work and learn about the artist's role in the community. The students from Years 7 to 12 are able to work alongside her and learn about different processes and skills of painting, drawing and design while creating their own pieces inspired by her techniques. The program is designed to engage students and their teachers in stimulating arts experiences that add richness and depth to their learning. Her links to the wider art community are wonderful for the students and open their eyes to what happens in the broader community.

Jane RobsonHead of Art

More about Ruby:

Ruby Chew is a Realistic, Figurative Painter and Drawer from Adelaide, South Australia. She graduated from the Adelaide Central School of Art in 2010, achieving a BA Visual Arts Hons.

In 2011 her work was accepted into the prestigious Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition, where she was awarded the SALA Prize, part funding her first solo exhibition, and the Hill Smith Gallery/Helpmann Academy Travel Prize, funding a 3 month artistic development trip around the UK and Europe.

Ruby has had numerous solo exhibitions, notably ‘Portraits’, a sell-out show at Magazine Gallery (2011) and ‘Spitting Image’ at Hill Smith Gallery (2012), both in South Australia. She has exhibited, taught and had residency positions interstate and overseas including an Artist in Residence position in Kuala Lumpur.

In 2015, Ruby was the Ruth Tuck Scholarship Winner, awarded by Carclew in South Australia. She has recently completed mentorships with established artists in Montpellier and Amsterdam, along with further study at the Florence Academy of Art, Florence and at Central Saint Martins, London, where she was based between 2015 - 2017. Ruby was also selected as a semi-finalist in the Chanel 9 Australian Young Achiever Award for 2015 and 2016. Her artworks are in public and private collections across Australia, Canada, Malaysia and London.

On Friday 16 February the Concordia Campus P&F were proud to host the first community event for 2018, the Year 7 Family Gathering.

What a great way to celebrate the start of a new year and chapter for many of the Year 7 families.

There was a fantastic buzz in the Quad with close to 300 people attending the event. The familes enjoyed gourmet woodfired oven pizzas.

Following the welcome from our Principal and Head of Middle School, it was a great opportunity for the new families to meet the Year 7 Home Class teachers and other parents in a relaxed environment.

Parents' feedback on the evening was phenomenal; the Concordia community spirit was truly evident.

We are grateful and wish to thank all our wonderful volunteers for their time and efforts in making the evening such a success.

Without the volunteers these events would not be possible. Twilight Tea (Friday 16 March) is just around the corner and we welcome any volunteers, please contact Angela Warrick to register your interest.

On 24 November 2017, 18 Concordia College students boarded their first flight, beginning their adventure to Germany which would last a period of nine weeks. After twenty-four long hours of travelling, we finally landed in Munich, Bavaria. At first it was overwhelming living in a new house with a new family who spoke mostly German, but after a while, hearing and speaking a different language became a normal thing for us. During our stay in Germany we all experienced many different things which ranged from going to different schools across Bavaria, visiting various tourist attractions and going on holidays which for some were in other countries across Europe.

On 7 January 2018, all of the exchange students from Adelaide were reunited for the Berlin trip. This was one of the greatest weeks of the exchange as we had the opportunity to form many new friendships, see many historical sights in Berlin and experience a different part of German culture.

After returning to our host families with a week left, we began packing our bags and on 24 January 2018 we said our final goodbyes to our host families and began our journey home. Germany has been one of my greatest experiences and I would definitely recommend the Exchange to anyone thinking of taking part.

Well done to Ben (12CFI) who has been selected as South Australia’s Representative for Every Australian Counts! As a result, Ben will be meeting with members of parliament and other key stakeholders in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to support and advise on the NDIS.

Well done to Caitlin (11SBU) who played in the Pro-AM held before the Australian Women's Golf Open at Kooyonga Golf Course. The team that she was part of played with US professional Angela Stanford and won the morning Pro-AM. Caitlin also won the long-drive competition held as part of the ProAm. An excellent achievement!

Congratulations to Holly (11KBEN) who has been selected to play for South Australia (FYFE Adelaide Jets) in the Women's National Water Polo League. In the photo, Holly is being presented with her kit by coach and ex-Olympian Eddie Denis. Holly has also been selected to play for the Adelaide Jets in the U18 National Championships to be held in Canberra in late March.

Late in 2017, Julia (9SML) was selected to take part in the FFSA 2018 U15 Girls State Program. In January, Julia competed as a member of the U15 Team that finished as runner up of the Craig Foster International Futsal Cup played on the Gold Coast. Well done! This excellent result means that Julia has qualified to play at the largest youth tournament for this sport in the world, the World Futsal Championships, to be held in July at ESPN Stadium in Orlando, Florida. We wish her all the best as she prepares for further competition.

Senior School students will be preparing food this coming Saturday for some 80 needy persons at the Mary Magdalene Drop-In Centre in the city.

Thank you to all those students and parents who have made the effort to prepare nutritious soups for the occasion and thanks also to those who have donated warm jumpers and jackets for the cold nights ahead.

Cash donations to purchase necessary foodstuffs for the event are still needed and if you are able to make a financial contribution it would be very much appreciated.

The SA School Immunisation Program will be offered at our College by Eastern Health Authority (EHA).

An Immunisation consent form has been sent home with students, and already returned to the College. If you did not receive one please ask at SSO for another one. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Eastern Health Authority, Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 5pm (phone 8132 3600) or the Immunisation Section, SA Health, Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 5pm (phone 1300 232 272).

In 2018, Concordia is continuing to partner with old collegian Dr Catherine Johnson from the School of Psychology, Flinders University, in her wellbeing research. Catherine is interested in adolescent mental health programmes that target common risk factors across anxiety, depression and eating disorders. The current research has a mindfulness focus, teaching students about emotions, thoughts and self-criticism, and how to steady themselves in stormy situations.

This year we are seeking to test whether learning mindfulness is more effective with early adolescents (before social and academic stressors increase) or whether this approach gains more traction when students are slightly more mature and see its relevance. We are testing a promising 8-lesson programme from Belgium not yet available elsewhere in Australia with randomly selected Year 8 and 10 classes, and with volunteer senior students. Students who don’t receive the programme this year will be invited to a free mindfulness workshop with parents and siblings early next year. As we find proven effective ways to immunise our children against mental health issues, this will be built into the curriculum at Concordia.

Please help us maintain a safe environment for our school community by observing speed limits and parking restrictions around the school. Winchester Street is particularly busy at peak times. We ask all road users to take extra care when driving in student pick up and drop off zones and be aware of students who may need to cross the road.